


Just Like Heaven

by Pattypixie



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Anal Sex, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Sexual Content, Suicidal Thoughts, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-31
Updated: 2014-01-31
Packaged: 2018-01-10 17:19:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1162414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pattypixie/pseuds/Pattypixie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starting at the end of "Changing Channels" and going to somewhere in the middle of Season 8 before the start of the trials.</p><p>"They call me Gabriel."<br/>Sam remembered every word of that encounter. Mainly because after that was when Gabriel started showing himself. Not completely at first. For a month or so, a couple of Sam’s things were out of place after he was certain he had left them elsewhere. Sometimes, it was replaced with a half-eaten chocolate bar or an opened box of movie candy. His first real visit happened soon enough though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Like Heaven

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first Supernatural fanfic, I'm it's kinda my baby. haha  
> It was originally posted on Tumblr, but this is a semi-revised, more final version of it  
> Enjoy!
> 
> Also, the song mentioned is "Wake Up" by Coheed and Cambria

"They call me Gabriel."  
    Sam remembered every word of that encounter. Mainly because after that was when Gabriel started showing himself. Not completely at first. For a month or so, a couple of Sam’s things were out of place after he was certain he had left them elsewhere. Sometimes, it was replaced with a half-eaten chocolate bar or an opened box of movie candy. His first real visit happened soon enough though.   
    “What the…” Sam stepped out of the small motel shower to find his clothes gone. He always undressed in the bathroom in case Dean came back early. Sam sighed and gritted his teeth after seeing that the only available towel was a bright blue one with little yellow ducks on it. He grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his hips and, of course, it was too small. Well, it didn’t really matter…Sam put an ear to the door and didn’t hear anything. All he would have to do was run out and grab a pair of boxers. Even if Dean was there, it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen him naked before. Sam covered himself with the small towel anyway, took a breath, and went out into the room.  
    “Well, hey there, kiddo,” A familiar voice said from the direction of his bed. Sam turned, still clutching the towel to his privates, only to see Gabriel lounging on his bed with a grin on his face and Sam’s boxers in his hand. “Looking for these?” Sam narrowed his eyes, made a lunge for his underwear, and ended up flat on the bed. He quickly scrambled up as Gabriel appeared behind him. “Now, Now. Who said it was gonna be that easy?” He said, still wearing a pompous smile.   
    “Damnit, Gabriel, this isn’t funny,” Sam said, clearly annoyed.   
    “For you,” He corrected. “It’s hilarious for me.”   
    “What do you want?” Sam sighed, caving and sitting on the edge of the bed.   
    “Aww, come on, Moose,” Gabriel pouted. “Gonna give up that easily?”  
    “You obviously want something, so tell me what it is so we can get this over with,” Sam demanded.   
    “Well you don’t have to be so mean about it,” He complained, throwing Sam’s boxers at him. Gabriel walked over to an open chair and plopped himself down. He pulled out a chocolate bar and started nibbling on it, still staring at Sam.   
    “Um…” Sam raised an eyebrow.   
    “Seriously?” Gabriel asked. Sam shot him a stern look. “FINE.” He covered his eyes with his hands and stuck his tongue out in defiance. However, once he heard the towel hit the floor, he peeked through his fingers a little and smiled.   
    “Okay,” Sam finally said once his pants were on. Gabriel put his hands down to see Sam shrugging on some patented Winchester plaid. “So, out with it. What do you want?” Sam continued while buttoning his shirt. Gabriel forgot how to speak for a moment while watching him, but soon regained composure.   
    “It’s not what I want, Grumpypants McGee. It’s who,” He replied, returning to his chocolate bar.   
    “No way. Dean and I are done playing your stupid games,” Sam said, putting away some papers. “Go find some new toys.”   
    “Way to jump to conclustions, Sasquatch,” Gabriel stood up, showing slight anger in his eyes. “I’m sick of playing games.” Sam couldn’t help but laugh, but it just made Gabriel more angry. “I’m sick of playing games with YOU. Who do you think has been messing with you this entire time? Dean? You know he wouldn’t have been able to help gloating about it by now. Hell, I had a hard time keeping quiet.” Sam stopped what he was doing and paused for a minute.   
    “It’s been you?” He asked, a baffled look on his face.   
    “Well, hot damn, I’m glad you finally got it through that gargantuan head of yours,” Gabriel sneered. “And I thought you were supposed to be the smart brother.” Sam frowned and picked up the discarded towel.   
    “Alright then,” Sam responded, still avoiding Gabriel’s gaze,”Why do you want me?” Sam turned to find Gabriel in front of him.   
    “I think you’re cute,” He smirked and grabbed Sam’s shirt. Gabriel pulled him down and placed Sam’s lips on his. Sam quickly pulled away out of shock and confusion.   
    “What the—-Did we just make a deal? What did I agree to?” Sam sputtered, trying to make sense of what happened.   
    “Angel. Hellooooo,” Gabriel reminded him, drawing a halo above his head with his finger. “I don’t do the deal thing.”   
    “Then…why’d you do that?” Sam asked, still confused.   
    “Oh. My. God. It’s like talking to a sexy ton of bricks.” Gabriel massaged his temples and sighed. “Let me try this a little simpler. Me, Gabriel.” He pointed at himself. “Want you, Sam, Gigantor, Sasquatch, whatever.” He pointed at Sam. “In there.” He pointed at the bed. “Or there.” He pointed at the bathroom. “Or anywhere, really.” Sam sat himself back down on the bed, processing what he’d just heard.   
    “Last I remember, you were into women,” Sam debated.   
    “Yeah, well, immortality kinda throws the whole permanent sexual orientation thing out the window,” Gabriel explained, lounging on Dean’s bed. “Sometimes one sex just gets boring…or someone special comes along.” Sam looked up. Gabriel noticed and laughed. “Don’t flatter yourself and give me the ‘DESTINY, I’m-super-special’ look. I just think you’re attractive, like anyone else with eyes does.”   
    “I really hope this isn’t your selling pitch, cuz I think it needs a little work,” Sam commented.   
    “Well, I’ll just get to the point then,” Gabriel said, snapping his fingers and producing a powerpoint projector. The screen read “Why Sam Winchester Should Bang Me. A powerpoint by Gabriel.” At this point, he had also changed into a suit, slightly wrinkled with his tie loose around his neck. “Is this better?” Gabriel continued without an answer. “Now. Why should we get it on?” He snapped his fingers and the image changed to an animation of his face with a small body and wings. “I’m a fucking ARCHANGEL.” Gabriel waved his hand and everything was gone. “I am -literally- the best sex you will have in your entire life. I know every trick in every book. I’m not kidding about that either. Done 90% of them, too. I can’t get over that elephant thing though. That’s just wrong on all accounts…” Sam shifted in his seat as Gabriel rambled on. Was he actually considering this? He hadn’t been with many people since Ruby and after her, this was definitely a step up. It’s not like he hadn’t been curious about guys, especially since that one high school... Sam blushed. He had never even told Dean about Jessie. He knew dad would have flipped and Dean wouldn’t have been far behind. What did he really have to lose with Gabriel, anyway? Sam didn’t see him as the attached type, and he wouldn’t have to lie about his job. Plus, no extra traveling was involved since Gabriel could just pop anywhere whenever he wanted. Sam looked up at Gabriel again, who was explaining some Kama Sutra act he’d learned in India after giving “Joe and Mary” the good news. For being kind of a jerk, he was still pretty cute. Sam liked the little smile that always seemed to be playing at his lips, even when he was mad. If anything, Sam could get him to turn to their side of the fight. THAT was the selling point.   
    “…And I was like, ‘screw you, Vishnu. I am NOT putting that there.’” Sam cleared his throat, regaining Gabriel’s attention. “Oh. Yeah. Got a little carried away there. Sorry ‘bout that.” Gabriel realized. He conjured a ship captain's hat and put it on his head. “So, are you on board the S.S. Gabriel?”   
    “Just a couple things—” Sam started.   
    “Is it the Vessel?” Gabriel looked down. “I’m sure there’s a hottie in this dude’s bloodline somewhere. Pretty sure he had a kid when I took him…”   
    “No, No…” Sam interrupted. “It’s Dean. I don’t think he’d really be okay with this, seeing as you tri—well. DID kill him over a hundred times. He doesn’t exactly forgive easily.”   
    “That’s what you’re worried about?” Gabriel laughed. “Oh man, I forgot about the co-dependency thing. Don’t sweat it, Kiddo. He won’t be able to see me unless I want him to. Angel perks.” He went back to sitting in the chair. “Cassie will still see me, but I’ll just have to be a little careful until I can break it to him and convince him to shut his trap for once in eternity.”   
    “You’re going to tell Cas?” Sam asked, alarmed.   
    “Oh, calm yourself, tiny tim. He would have found out anyway. You know how nosey he is,” Gabriel explained. “And he’s gonna give me,”—He mimicked Cas’s voice—“But that’s Lucifer’s vessel. What are you thinking?” He rolled his eyes and returned to his own voice. “But whatever. I’m his older brother anyway.”   
    “Yeah. What are you thinking?” Sam hadn’t even thought about that. “Don’t you think Lucifer might get a little pissed if you’re,” Sam cleared his throat, “banging his vessel?”   
    “Lucy is just an overgrown baby throwing a temper tantrum because he’s not getting all of Dad’s attention,” Gabriel waved his hand nonchalantly. “He really needs to grow up. Anyway,” He appeared sitting next to Sam, “What’s your final answer? I don’t have all day, you know.” Gabriel flashed his most winning smile and waited for Sam to respond. Sam looked him over once more. He was pretty adorable…even if he was an annoying prick. And they needed him.   
    “Alright. But!” Sam quickly said before Gabriel had a chance to do a victory dance. “Conditions.”   
    “Whatever you want, Sugar Bear,” Gabriel grinned, placing his hand on Sam’s thigh.   
    “No cutesy pet names, for one,” He replied, blushing a little at Gabriel’s touch. “No interfering with jobs unless Dean and I are in serious, gonna-die-in-5-seconds danger, and no more killing for fun. I’ll sleep with an Angel, not a monster.”   
    “Not into that anymore?” Sam shot him a signiture bitch face. “Okay. Jeez. I was kidding. I can handle that. Killing was getting boring anyway.” Gabriel reassured him. “Give me your phone.”   
    “What? Why?” Sam asked.   
    “Seriously. If you’re going to question everything I do, this is going to be a tedious relationship,” Sam frowned and Gabriel sighed. “I need to put my number in. With Cas giving you anti-tracking ribs, I can’t locate you,” Gabriel explained. “I can’t just be following you around everywhere. I do have a life.” Sam handed over his phone and Gabriel touched it. “Done. I gotta go though. Your other half is coming back.” A key jiggled in the lock and Gabriel pointed at it to keep it from opening, Sam could hear Dean swearing on the other side. “See ya soon, Kiddo.” Gabriel leaned in and kissed Sam again, lingering a little longer than last time. The door opened and Sam opened his eyes, seeing the Gabriel had gone.   
    “Freeking motel doors,” Dean grumbled as he walked in. He saw Sam sitting, slightly dumbfounded, on the bed and raised an eyebrow. “Is researching how to kill evil things not on your to-do list today, Sammy?”   
    “Uh…Oh. Yeah. Sorry..,” Sam snapped out of his trance and went over to his laptop, head still reeling from earlier.

***

    It had been close to two weeks since that first encounter before Gabriel called. Sam had almost forgotten about the whole thing. They were crossing the Illinois state line into Wisconsin when he heard the DeVinyls “I Touch Myself” coming from his pocket. Dean looked over at Sam with a half perplexed, half amused face. Sam scrambled to get his cell out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. Gabriel’s face looked back at him with the name “Sugar Daddy” displayed under it. Sam made a quick scowl before answering.  
    “What?” Sam barked into the phone.  
    “Aww. Is my Moosy mad that I haven’t called?” Gabriel teased. “I had some loose ends to tie up. So, where are you?”  
    “Can I call you back? I can’t hear you, I’m in the car,” Sam replied through gritted teeth.  
    “Oh yeah. The whole Dean thing. By the way, did he like my ringtone? It’s one of my fave—” Sam hung up the phone. He didn’t know what he should have expected from Gabriel.   
    “So,” Dean grinned at him. “Who’s special enough to remind you of THAT song?”  
    “Just shut up and drive,” Sam turned up the radio and moved closer to the window.

***

    Sam sat on the bed twirling his phone in his hand. He didn’t have to call Gabriel. But if he didn’t, he’d get a call at an even more awkward time. Sam sighed and dialed the number. It rang a few times and then,  
    “Hey, Kiddo,” Gabriel answered, almost sensitively. A tingle went up Sam’s spine, but he shook it off.   
    “I’m at the Pine Ridge motel in Elkhorn, WI. Room 3,” Sam admitted. The phone hung up and Gabriel stood in the middle of the room with a six-pack of beer.  
    “So, I’m not really good at this, but I wanted to say that I’m, uh…” He fumbled with the words in his mouth. “Sorry?” Gabriel shifted his feet nervously and Sam had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. “I realized I came on kinda strong…Then didn’t call for weeks…” Gabriel looked up with sad eyes that could rival Sam's. “Please don’t make me go on. This is really hard…” Sam nodded, releasing Gabriel from his torment. The angel sighed and relaxed immedietly. Sam walked over and grabbed the beer from Gabriel’s hand.  
    “It’s fine,” Sam said, putting the six-pack in the mini fridge. “I’m changing your ringtone though.”  
    “Worth it,” Gabriel confessed, flinging himself onto Sam’s bed. Sam closed the fridge door and sat at the table, in front of his laptop. Gabriel frowned. “Hey now. I came here for a reason.”  
    “And so did I,” Sam turned the laptop toward the bed. “Possible werewolf. ‘Possible’ meaning that I have to do research.” He turned the laptop back toward himself and started reading.  
    “Sammy…” Gabriel pouted. “Come to bed…” He patted an area next to him and smiled.  
    “For one, I’m still kinda mad at you,” Sam replied, still looking at the computer screen. “And two, Dean will be back any minute, so it’d be kinda hard to do anything in that time frame.”  
    “Fine,” Gabriel said, getting off the bed and grabbing three of the beers. “We’ll see about that in an hour.”  
    “Oh really?” Sam smiled to himself, knowing full well that getting Dean to leave after being out all day was next to impossible.  
    “Yeeeup,” Gabriel responded, cracking a beer and turning on the TV. He settled into the chair next to Sam and started drinking. After about 5 minutes, the door handle turned and Dean walked in, loosening his tie.  
    “Well that was pointless,” He groaned, taking off his jacket. He looked almost directly at Gabriel and for a second, Sam was sure Dean had seen him. “Ooo. Beer.” He threw his tie on the bed and grabbed one of Gabriel’s beers off the table. Gabriel smiled at Sam mischeviously as he noticed that the angel was invisible to Dean.  
    “So,” Sam cleared his throat, nervously, “Didn’t find out anything?”  
    “Not unless talking to some crazy dude with mutton chops and an anime obsession counts. He was the only one who saw anything,” Dean kicked his shoes off, laid on his bed, and opened the beer. He took a swig and frowned. “Where did you get this crap, Sammy? It tastes like it was brewed in a toilet.”  
    “Hey!” Gabriel protested, even though Dean couldn’t hear him. Sam covered his mouth to keep from smiling.  
    “Anything on your end?” Dean asked, currently more focused on the TV than the job.  
    “Not really. I—Um…” Sam trailed off once Gabriel appeared in his lap.  
    “Let’s play a game, Sam,” Gabriel said, walking his fingers up Sam’s chest. “It’s called ‘How long until you get Dean to leave for the night?’” He grinned as Sam’s heartbeat sped up.  
    “Umm…What?” Dean asked, paying slightly more attention to his brother. Sam took a deep breath and looked back to the screen.  
    “Well, first appearance was in 1949…” Sam said, trying to concentrate on the screen as Gabriel started unbuttoning his shirt. With every button, the angel's fingers brushed his chest and a jolt went through him with each touch. “Sightings were pretty…scarce until…mmm…the late 80’s…” He was having trouble keeping his composure once Gabriel started biting his ear and kissing his neck. He leaned his head back to give the angel more access and let out a little moan as his head swimmed in thoughts of what he was going to do to Gabriel  
    “You okay there, Sammy?” Dean inquired, looking over at Sam.   
    “Yeah!” Sam almost shouted. “Yeah. I’m fine. I’m just, uh…” _Oh, fuck...excuse...excuse..._ Sam looked around a bit and noticed his laptop, “looking at porn?” Sam looked up at Dean and smiled nervously as Gabriel chucked a bit, face still buried in Sam’s neck while one hand explored his thighs. Dean raised an eyebrow and got out of bed.  
    “Seriously, man. If you needed some more alone time, just say so,” Dean shrugged on his jacket and put on his shoes. “I’ll be at the bar. Call me when you’re…Done.” It wasn’t until Dean left that Sam noticed he was holding his breath.   
    “That was not cool,” Sam said, shoving Gabriel off of him.  
    “But you liked it…” Gabriel noted, grinning. “And there is way more where that came from.” Sam ignored him and and went to the bathroom. He splashed some water on his face, looked in the mirror, and ran a hand through his hair. Okay. So he liked it. Whatever. That didn’t mean anything. What did matter was that he couldn’t get that stupid angel out of his head. Sam took a breath and walked back out into the room. Gabriel was sitting on the corner of the bed with a sucker in his hand, swirling it around in his mouth a little. It had to be a fucking sucker, didn't it. Once he saw Sam, he put the candy down.  
    “Hey, look. I’m sorry, but—” Gabriel was cut off by Sam’s hands on his shoulders, and being pulled up into a kiss. While startled at first, Gabriel gave into it, putting his hands on Sam’s hips. Sam pulled away first to catch a breath.  
    “I hate you,” Sam whispered, their noses still touching, and both breathing heavily.   
    “Prove it,” Gabriel dared, smiling. Sam pushed him onto the bed, peeled off his shirt, then climbed in after Gabriel. Sam just couldn’t help himself. Being around Gabriel was intoxicating. As he crawled on top of him, he was overcome with the scent of beer mixed with artificial strawberry and a hint of electricity which somehow pulled it all together.  
    “Rough, huh?” Gabriel commented as Sam practically ripped off the buttons on his shirt.  
    “I’m just getting started,” Sam growled into Gabriel’s ear as he pinned his arms to either side of his head. The fact that he was pinning down an archangel only made him more aroused. Gabriel moaned and Sam could feel him thrusting upward as he nipped at the angel’s neck and ear. Sam’s grip on Gabriel’s wrists tightened as he started kissing down his chest.  
    “Oh, don’t think you can have all the fun,” Gabriel overpowered Sam, turning him over on his back. He snapped his fingers and Sam was cuffed to the bed.   
    “That’s not fair,” Sam complained, grinning anyway.  
    “I beg to differ,” Gabriel said, drawing a finger down Sam’s chest. “Here’s something I learned from a very talented girl in Chicago.” He moved down so that he was straddling Sam’s legs. Holding Sam’s hips down, Gabriel bent over to kiss and lick little circles right above Sam's pants line. He smiled at the moans that were spilling out of Sam's mouth and decided to continue. He traced his fingers around Sam's hip bones as he slowly undid the button and zipper on Sam’s jeans with his teeth. Gabriel moved his mouth against Sam’s obvious bulge as he fought against his hips. Gabe smiled when he looked up and saw Sam biting his bottom lip, practically begging for him. He pulled on Sam’s jeans, taking his boxers along with them.   
    “Damn, Sammy…” Gabriel expressed once he pulled Sam’s boxers all the way off. “How does that even fit in your pants?” Sam only answered in a moan as Gabriel descended on him. Sam felt as if he’d never gotten head until now. Gabriel’s tongue moved in ways that Sam couldn’t imagine and, of course, angels didn’t have a gag reflex. He knew it was no use fighting against Gabriel’s hands, but it only felt better when he tried. Sam gasped a little when Gabriel slipped a couple fingers inside him, opening him up, but it only added to the pleasure. Just as Sam was starting to feel like he was about to explode, Gabriel gave him a long lick from shaft to tip and left him on the bed.  
    “Wha-What the fuck, Gabe!” Sam yelled, flustered, and obviously wanting more.   
    “Calm down,” Gabriel reassured him, smiling and taking his own pants off. “I did say that you couldn’t have all the fun.” He crawled back in where he was before, kissing and nipping at the inside of Sam’s thighs. He gave his hand a lick and stroked himself a bit, “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. At first.” Gabriel flashed his signature mischievous grin and eased himself inside Sam, letting out a moan when he was fully in. Between Gabriel and the handcuffs, the mixture of pleasure and pain was almost overwhelming for Sam. He could feel a bit of blood trickle from his wrists as he arched his back but that didn't matter. Only Gabriel mattered. As the angel moved inside him, Sam could feel himself getting closer and closer to climaxing.  
    “Holy Fuck, Gabriel,” Sam moaned, trying to last as long as possible.   
    “How accurate…” Gabriel replied, bending over to kiss Sam’s chest and slowing down his thrusts. “Come on, Sammy. Hold out for me…” Sam nodded, or tried to nod, as Gabriel’s fingers started playing with the tip of his hard on, mixing around the pre-cum. He was practically blinded by pleasure and for a moment, he thought he could see the faint outline of Gabriel's wings, spread throughout the room. Eventually, Sam couldn’t take it anymore. His moans grew louder and it felt as though his whole body shook as he came onto Gabriel’s chest. Gabriel stopped and grinned as he wiped a bit off of himself and licked his fingers.  
    “Hmm…I should make you cum icing next time,” He mused, snapping his fingers. The cuffs disappeared, Sam’s wrists were healed, and they were cleaned up. Gabriel grinned and thrusted a couple more times into Sam to hear him moan, since he wasn’t capable of speech yet, then removed himself. He fell over next to Sam on the bed, conjuring the sucker from before.   
    “What about you?” Sam asked after regaining the ability to speak.  
    “I can’t. At least not with you,” Gabriel explained. “It’s not you, personally. For me to get off with a human, we’d have to fuck all day and all night, nonstop. Then, if I came inside you, you’d explode from all the grace expelled in your body. If I wasn’t inside you, the grace would probably melt your face off or at least burn your eyes out.” Sam turned on his side to face Gabriel with a worried expression, a sheet barely covering him. “Don’t worry about it. If it was an issue, I wouldn’t have done it with you in the first place. I’ll just pop off to a field later and jerk it. Best way to make crop circles. Should only take a half a day.” Sam grabbed the back of Gabriel's neck and pulled him into a kiss, passionate and full of wanting.  
    “Think we can cut that time down?” Sam grinned, pulling away for a moment  
    “Hells yeah,” Gabriel returned the grin as Sam straddled him, already hard again.

***

    Gabriel laid awake and sighed, listening to Sam's slow breathing. He looked over and felt something his chest as he noticed the little smile Sam had on his face. Gabriel carefully slipped out of the bed being careful not to wake him. He appeared in the middle of the room and proceeded to grab his clothing.  
    “Hello, Gabriel,” A monotone voice said in front of him.  
    “Castiel,” He stated, standing up. “Come to tell me what a bad boy I’ve been? I think I could fit in a spanking.” Cas cocked his head in confusion and Gabriel rolled his eyes.  
    “You know this is a bad idea. I’m sure Lucifer already has wind of it,” Cas warned, vague concern in his eyes.  
    “I can handle Lucifer,” Gabriel assured him while putting his pants back on. “I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve.”  
    “I think you severely underestimate him, Gabriel,” Cas sighed and looked down. “We’ve lost so many brothers already.” Gabriel slipped on his shirt and went over to Cas.  
    “I know him better than anyone else,” He put a hand on Castiel’s shoulder. “We actually used to get along pretty well. He may listen to me. Plus, Michael isn’t the only one with an archangel blade.” He smiled and produced the blade out of thin air. Cas frowned but nodded.   
    “Regardless, if you’re going to do,” Cas looked at Sam, still sleeping, “This, I should tell Dean.”  
    “And drive them further apart?” Gabriel pointed out. “That’s what Lucifer and Michael want. You worry about protecting Dean.” He walked over and moved a hair out of Sam’s face. “I can protect Sam.”  
    “Do you…” Cas had a perplexed look on his face. “Have feelings for him?” Gabriel paused and kept looking at Sam. He chuckled a bit at the realization.  
    “I guess I do,” He confessed. “That’s what I get for spending a few thousand years with humanity. Feelings.” Gabriel turned and saw that Cas had left. He noticed Sam starting to stir and quickly left. Sam opened his eyes to the sound of wings beating. When he saw the empty room, he looked next to him and saw that Gabriel was gone. The pillow next to him was still warm. Sam sighed, slightly disappointed, and rolled over, quickly falling back asleep.

***

    “This is ridiculous, Sammy,” Dean complained, his face buried in his hands. On the table in front of him was a pile of books that he had been pouring over for the last two hours. Sam peered over his laptop screen and raised an eyebrow.  
    “Well, it has to be something,” He replied. “We just have to find it.”  
    “You have to find it,” Dean corrected, slamming the book closed and standing up. “I’m hitting the local gathering place to gather some intel.”  
    “I think you mispronounced ‘I’m going to the bar to get drunk and hit on chicks until someone takes me home’.” Sam sneered, looking back at his screen.   
    “Oh, I’m sorry, Princess,” Dean shot back, putting his jacket on. “Next time I’ll be sure to sugarcoat it a little better.”  
    “Jerk,” Sam said, smiling.  
    “See ya, Bitch,” Dean replied, grinning as he walked out the door. Sam sighed and looked at the books, wondering which to tackle next, when his phone rang. He assumed Dean forgot something.  
    “What did you for—”  
    “Sam…”  
His voice caught in this throat. He knew that voice. It felt like something he’d heard in a lucid dream come to life.  
    “Sam, please…Where are you?”  
    “H-Hartford, Michigan. Bay Inn. Room 12,” Sam admitted. He turned around to the sound of wings and saw Gabriel laying on the floor, struggling to get up. Sam ran over to him and helped him to his feet.   
    “Hey, Kiddo,” Gabriel smiled weakly, struggling to hold himself up. “Mind if I lay down a bit?” Sam led him to the bed, still slightly in shock. After their, what Sam assumed to be a, one night stand, Gabriel popping back was a little unexpected.   
    “What happened?” Sam managed to say.  
    “Michael happened,” Gabriel cringed from the pain. “I went to go see him. He didn’t want to see me. Obviously.”  
    “Why?” Sam asked, pacing the room and trying to make sense of everything.  
    “To get him to stop this stupid war. To get him to reconsider and maybe talk to Lucifer instead. Most of all, I did it for you. To get him to stop hunting for you,” Gabriel confessed, smiling slightly. Sam looked over at the Archangel currently taking up his bed. The utterly stupid, sentimental, annoying angel that was probably going to get himself killed over him. Unlike Sam, Gabriel was no use to anyone dead. He was far too important and powerful. What was going on between them anyway? Sam had agreed to fuck-buddies, but they'd only done it once in two months, and now, Gabriel was risking his life for him? This was too much. He needed an explanation.  
    “Stop it,” Sam finally said, running a hand through his hair.   
    “Stop what?” Gabriel asked, confused. He sat up a little more, his strength recovering quickly.   
    “Why are you doing this, Gabriel?” Sam blurted out. “You come to me, out of the blue, saying you wanna sleep with me. Fine. Don’t call me for two weeks, then have crazy, amazing sex and leave in the middle of the night. Also fine. But, now, here you are, almost a month later, telling me you were out talking to and getting beaten up by your brother for me?”  
    “Is this a feelings talk?” Gabriel interjected, scrunching his face.  
    “Maybe!” Sam yelled. “But I don’t even know if you have feelings! Cas doesn’t! Why should you?”  
    “Okay, okay,” Gabriel relinquished, trying to get Sam to calm down. He pushed himself to the edge of the bed. “For one, Castiel has feelings. He just doesn’t realize that’s what they are. Two, you’re right. I should have been more honest with you. I’m just so used to lying and deceiving. It’s kind of a reflex.” Sam raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “Come on, Sam, this is a one-time only offer. The truth, by Gabriel. Act now, and I’ll even throw in a night of hot make-up sex, free of charge.” He winked and grinned, patting the spot next to him on the bed. Sam rolled his eyes, but sat next to Gabriel anyway.   
    “Alright. I’m listening,” He said, sighing a bit.   
    “This is a little long, so bear with me. And try not to laugh or cry or interrupt or whatever. It’s distracting,” Gabriel warned. “It started when I first met you guys, I guess. I already knew who you were, but insisted on actually meeting you so, I caused a little mayhem to attract your attention.”  
    “Murder is not—”  
    “Hey! No interrupting!” Gabriel said, snapping his fingers. Duct tape appeared over Sam’s mouth. He tried to remove it, but it was no use. “Now, be good and I’ll take it off. Or not.” He smiled mischievously. “We’ll see. Anyway. I ended up liking you guys, even though you tried to kill me. I kept tabs on you, especially after Dean made out with a demon to save you. You were NOT taking that well, so I decided to help.” Sam glared at Gabriel. “YES I realize now that I wasn’t helping so much as making you guys royally pissed at me. I admit, I said some mean things…but you and those sad, puppy-dog eyes, Sammy. That just broke my heart.” Gabriel drew a heart on his chest with a finger and Sam rolled his eyes. “Well, after that, I decided to actively ignore you guys until I get the memo from upstairs that Lucy had resurfaced. Now, how could I get my brothers to stop acting like dickholes for a couple more millennia? By getting you to finally take them on as their vessels. And well, you know the rest. Basically, Dean may have been right for once. I needed to stand up for myself.” Gabriel looked down and was silent for a moment. Sam placed his hand on Gabriel’s thigh and he looked up, eyes full of sadness. “I’m a messenger, Sam. That’s why I was created. I’m not a warrior. I can’t help in this fight. I’m not supposed to. Michael just kept yelling that at me as he threw me. ‘This isn’t about you, brother. You need to stay out of this'." He shuttered a little and sighed. "How can I when this is my family? For the record, I do have feelings. Humanity did that to me. That’s why this is so hard…" Gabriel went still and looked over at Sam. "You know, this is the part where you cheer me up.” Sam pointed to his mouth, still covered in duct tape. “Oh. Yeah.” Gabriel snapped his fingers and removed the tape. Sam’s hand immediately went to his mouth to wipe away the feeling.  
    “Not everyone is a fighter, Gabriel,” Sam reminded him. “Not everyone can be in the battlefield. That doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference.”   
    “Well, I obviously can’t talk them out of it. And talking is what I’m supposed to be good at,” Gabriel said.  
    “Let’s not get carried away, now,” Sam replied, smiling.   
    “Maybe I should have left that duct tape on…” Gabriel regretted.   
    “I’m being serious, Gabe,” Sam wrapped his arms around the angel and held him close. “You’re awesome. And I’m not just saying that. You are, by definition, extremely impressive and daunting. Nothing on earth can compare to you. As you put it, you’re a fucking archangel! Only 6 other beings in the universe can say that. You can do anything you want.”   
    “I can’t believe I’m being comforted by a human,” Gabriel said, smiling into Sam’s shirt. The smell of aftershave and cheap detergent immediatly calmed him.   
    “I can’t believe I have to give the messenger of God a pep talk,” Sam replied, smiling and kissing the top of Gabriel's head.  
    “Okay that’s it,” Gabriel turned and pushed Sam down onto the bed, straddling him. “We’re making up now.”  
    “Hey now. I never said—” Gabriel pushed his finger onto Sam’s lips.   
    “Actually, you’re the one who said I could do whatever I want,” He grinned. “And I want to do you.” He bent over and kissed Sam, while starting to undo his shirt buttons.  
    “Wait,” Sam pulled away. He looked worried and sighed. “Will you leave again?”  
    “Not ‘till morning,” Gabriel kissed Sam’s neck. “I promise, Kiddo.”

***

    “Seriously, Sam? You’re like a freaking teenage girl,” Dean commented as Sam pulled out his phone to text. They had just gotten to the hotel for the night and it seemed recently, Sam had been texting every time they stopped.  
    “I’m just checking…” Sam replied, focused on his phone. The truth was that it had become a bit of a habit and compulsion to text Gabriel his current location. The angel had been staying over practically every night, whether Dean was there or not and when Dean wasn’t, there wasn’t much sleeping.   
    “Yeah, whatever,” Dean dismissed the subject. He opened the door to the hotel room and threw his duffel on the bed nearest to the door. “So, Sammy, ready to go get hammered, hit on chicks, and not remember banging them tomorrow?”  
    “Nah. I think I’d rather just stay in tonight,” Sam said, sitting down on the edge of the other bed.   
    “But it’s your birthday!” Dean argued, practically whining. "This is the one night a year you have the BEST pickup line in the universe." Dean leaned into him and smiled. "'Do you wanna be my birthday present?'" Sam laughed and pushed him away.  
    “How about this,” Sam suggested. “You go scope out the best bar, and when you found it, you text me and I’ll meet you there.”  
    “Deal,” Dean accepted, already halfway out the door. “See ya soon!” Sam sighed as the door closed behind Dean. He had never been the type to go out and pick up chicks. Plus, once Dean started drinking, he tended to forget about what he was really doing. Maybe that was why he was a borderline alcoholic. What Sam really wanted was a quiet night in with Gabe. He laid down on the bed and just as he was starting to relax, there was a knock at the door. Instinctively, he grabbed his knife and carefully opened the door.   
    “SAMMY!” Gabriel burst into the room, sporting an acoustic guitar. Sam closed the door behind him, relaxing and smiling. “Now sit.” Gabe demanded. Upon Sam sitting, the angel burst into song, wishing him a happy birthday and making up his own lyrics involving sexual acts. Sam clapped when it was done, still smiling.  
    “I didn’t know you played guitar,” Sam inquired, impressed.  
    “I practically invented it, Kiddo,” Gabriel replied, putting down the instrument. “Now, it’s your birthday. Where do you want to go?”  
    “Not you too…” Sam buried his face in his hands. “I don’t want to go out to a bar.”  
    “That’s not what I meant,” Gabriel corrected. “I mean, where do you want to go in the world? I can zap us anywhere, just say the word.” Sam thought about it for a minute. Any place he wanted to go didn't seem like somewhere that would be really romantic or Gabriel's style.  
    “Well…I suppose I’ve always wanted to visit Paris,” Sam said, shrugging. Gabriel kneeled down in front of Sam and grabbed his hands.  
    “I mean REALLY wanna go,” Gabriel urged. “None of this pansy-ass, keep-it-safe-so-that-Gabe-will-like-it-too stuff. Tonight’s about you, Sammy.”  
    "But I--"  
    "Sam. I will be happy anywhere as long as you're happy," Gabriel smiled and Sam felt a lot more at ease.  
    “Rome,” Sam said, blushing a little. “When I was little, I was obsessed with Roman mythology.” He laughed a bit. “Drove Dean nuts.”  
    “Rome it is,” Gabriel decided, standing up. "For the record though, those gods are a pain in the ass." He held out his hand for Sam to take it. When he did, Gabriel pulled him in close. “Now, hold on tight, close your eyes, and KEEP THEM CLOSED.” Sam nodded and closed his eyes, bending down slightly to push his face into Gabriel’s neck to make sure he didn’t open them. He felt something come out of Gabriel’s back and heard the sound of wings. The floor fell away from him, and he held onto the angel a little tighter. Close to 5 minutes passed before he felt his feet hit solid ground again. Sam breathed a sigh of relief and felt whatever had come out of Gabriel’s back retreat. “Alright. Open your eyes.”  
    “Holy—Gabriel, where are we?” Sam looked around, taking in his surroundings. The room looked like a penthouse, windows taking up most of the walls. The entire city could be seen from where they were. A king-sized bed was near the middle of the room with chairs accompanied by end tables standing in front of every window. A couch was also present, facing the end of the bed, and champagne on ice was sitting on the coffee table. Sam moved away from Gabriel, going to look out the windows that faced the coliseum.   
    “Just something I whipped up,” Gabriel smiled. “I’m glad you like it.” He walked over and grabbed the champagne. “Shall we?” Sam walked back over and swept Gabriel up into a kiss.   
    “This…This is amazing,” Sam couldn’t stop grinning. “This is the best birthday I’ve ever had.”  
    “Hey now, we’re just getting started,” Gabriel returned the grin and poured them each a glass. “You can thank me later and please, do thank me later.” He handed Sam a glass and clinked them together. They downed them together and Sam laughed.   
    “Can you even get drunk, Gabe?” He asked, already turning a little rosy.   
    “I’d have to drink an entire store of these, but it’s possible,” Gabe answered. “I did make my glass a little stronger to help me along but, to be honest, I’ve never really been drunk.”  
    “Well then,” Sam was already in the process of pouring his second glass. “This should be interesting.”   
    “I don’t think so,” Gabe smiled at Sam’s insistence on getting him drunk. “One of us has to stay a little coherent, and it’s already a little bit fucked up that it’s gonna be me.” Sam downed his second glass and set it down to grab Gabriel. The alcohol was already starting to hit Sam a bit, and Gabe could taste it on his breath as they kissed. Sam’s fingers fumbled with the buttons on Gabriel’s shirt as he backed him up to the bed. The edge of the mattress hit Sam directly in the back of the knees and he accidently fell backwards, carrying Gabriel with him. He laughed and looked up at Gabriel, straddling him. With the light behind his head, he actually did look like an angel. He paused, just taking the sight in.  
    “Wow…” The word fell out of Sam’s mouth without warning. Gabriel looked confused.  
    “What?” Gabe asked, a little worried.  
    “You’re just so…ethereal,” Sam replied, still in awe.  
    “Well, yeah, dumbass. I’m an archangel,” Gabe smiled, secretly glad he could render Sam speechless.   
    “Can I see your wings?” Sam blurted out. Gabriel was a little taken aback by the request. He stepped off of Sam and frowned a little.   
    “No. They’re made of grace. Like, hardcore, archangel grace,” Gabe explained. “Seeing them with human eyes would render you into a puddle of nasty carbon goo.” Sam sat up, a little discouraged. “No…Don’t even think about—” Sam looked up with the saddest eyes he could muster. Gabriel was a sucker for them. “OH MY GOD STOP. I really can’t let you see them but, since it IS your birthday,” Gabe sighed. “I could let you feel them.” That was enough for Sam. He stood up, smiling. “Promise me you’ll keep your eyes closed.”  
    “I promise,” Sam repeated, seriously. “I don’t really want to melt either.”  
    “Okay,” Gabriel took a deep breath and turned around so that his back was to Sam. “Put your hands on my shoulders. Close your eyes. Are they closed?”  
    “Yes,” Sam said, shutting his eyes tight, excitement prevalent in his voice. Gabe snapped his fingers and a blindfold appeared on Sam's face.  
    “Just in case," Gabe took a deep breath. "Here we go…”   
    Sam felt the sensation of something coming out of Gabriel’s back again and waited until movement was minimal. He trailed his hands down Gabe’s shoulders until his fingers were met with what felt like a barrier of pure energy. Sam could feel the energy flow from his fingers to the rest of his body and it made him feel warm and comforted. He let his right hand follow the energy to the side of Gabe’s body where he started to feel feather-like energy. Letting the top of the wing guide him, he ventured to the tip. The wings felt like they went on forever. Sam found his way back to Gabriel’s body, and started stroking the body of the wings. The more he touched them the better he felt, like he was getting high off of the angel.  
    “They’re so beautiful,” Sam said, still a bit awestruck.  
    “I try to take care of them,” Gabriel replied, glad that Sam couldn’t see him blushing. “Alright. Petting zoo hours are over.” Sam felt the wings recede and took his hands off of them. The energy he felt immediately went away, bringing him back to reality. “Open.” Sam took the blindfold off and Gabriel was turned toward him.   
    “Wha—what was that feeling?” Sam asked.   
    “That was my grace affecting you as a human,” Gabriel sat down on the couch.   
    “I…I’m a little tired…” Sam turned and fell onto the bed. Gabriel reacted immediately and went to him.   
    “The experience can really take a lot out of a person,” Gabe turned Sam onto his back and cradled his head in his lap. Sam smiled as Gabe stroked his hair.   
    “Last request, I promise,” Sam smiled up into Gabe’s face.   
    “Whatever you want, Kiddo,” Gabe consented, just happy to make Sam happy.   
    “Will you sing me to sleep?” Sam insisted, smiling up at him, a mixture of alcohol and grace swimming in his mind. Gabe laughed a little at the request, but nodded. He moved so that Sam could get more comfortable on the bed. His guitar appeared upon snapping his fingers and he sat on the edge of the bed, near Sam’s feet. Gabe chose the song carefully.   
  
"I’m going to ride this plane out of your life again.  
I wish that I could stay but you argue.  
More than this I wish you could’ve seen my face  
In backseat staring out the window.

"I’ll do anything for you,  
Kill anyone for you.  
So leave yourself intact  
'Cause I will be coming back.  
In a phrase to cut these lips…” Gabe paused a bit, seeing that Sam’s breathing had already gone heavy.  
"I love you…" Gabe placed the guitar down and crawled into the bed behind Sam. He sighed and a sadness came over him. He leaned in to Sam’s ear. "Sammy…I hope this will at least hit some subconscious part of your brain." Gabriel paused a moment, not liking what he was about to say. "Keep driving. Whatever you do, just keep driving." Gabriel kissed Sam’s cheek, and wrapped his arms around him, holding him closer than usual.

***

 Sam sat in silence as Dean drove him and Kali away from the hotel. He knew Gabriel couldn’t have survived going up against Lucifer.   
    “At least we don’t have to deal with that stupid archangel anymore,” Dean commented, flashing a slight smile at Sam. A horrible sinking feeling came over Sam and he took a deep breath to keep his emotions at bay. He turned toward the window and kept quiet. Dean frowned at the lack of reaction he was expecting from Sam, but stayed silent until they reached a gas station.  
    “Alright, Kali,” Dean sighed, opening the backseat door for her. “This is your stop.”  
    “Be back,” Sam walked off to the bathroom without waiting for Dean to respond. He closed the door behind him and locked it. Alone, Sam was overcome with feeling. He fell to his knees and sobbed. After the last few hours of hiding every emotion, it was a relief to let it all out. He didn’t even get to say “goodbye” to Gabriel. The tears just kept falling as Sam dug his fingers into his knees. Why did Gabriel have to leave him like that? Sam needed him more than ever. He looked around the dirty, gas station bathroom. As much as he wanted to stay and greve, he couldn’t. Dean would probably be looking for him soon. He stood up slowly, his hands and legs shaking a bit. The mirror was dirty, and for that he was grateful. There was no way he could look at himself right now. He splashed water on his face to wash away the tears and ran a hand through his hair. Sam grabbed the sink tight, focusing on trying not to fall apart. After taking a few deep breaths and steadying himself, he grabbed a paper towel and wiped his face off before leaving the bathroom.  
    “You okay, Sammy? You were in there a while,” Dean asked, once he saw Sam walking up to the car.   
    “Yeah. I’m fine. Apparently food made by pagan gods doesn’t agree with me,” Sam lied, rubbing his neck. “Where’s Kali?”  
    “She poofed,” Dean explained hopping into the car. “Lets find a real hotel.” Sam slid into the passenger seat. The DVD that Gabriel had given Dean was sitting between them.   
    “So, why do you think Gabriel left you a porno?” Sam asked, a little jealousy spiking since Gabe left nothing for him.   
    “Who knows. I’ll watch it in the morning,” Dean replied, not really caring. Sam felt a twinge of rage at Dean’s tone, but he suppressed it. Dean eventually found a hotel and they checked in. While Dean collapsed on the bed and passed out almost immediately, Sam laid awake, not able to sleep if he tried. Unable to wait until morning, he grabbed the DVD and put it into his laptop. He put the tangled earbuds into his ears and pressed play. His heart raced once the angel came on the screen but, the sight of Gabriel with someone else made him physically sick. He knew it was just an act for Dean, but it hurt all the same. Reluctantly, he watched all the way to the end, waiting for Gabe to have something to say directly to him. Nothing. Regardless of him giving them a way to trap Lucifer, Sam was fuming at that point. He got that Gabriel didn’t really care about him but did he have to be that obvious? Even through his rage, something else was bothering him. He rewound to the beginning of the video. Was that a map of Italy in the background? What would a—Sam grimaced—Hungarian do with a map of Italy? He paused the scene and moused over it. The cursor turned to a hand. An easter egg. Something jumped in his chest. He had heard about these from a friend in college who was obsessed with finding them. He clicked it and it opened to reveal an entirely different room…The room that Gabriel had made for them in Rome.   
    “Hey, Kiddo,” Gabriel appeared on the screen and sat down in front of the camera. “I knew you’d find this.” A smile flashed across his face and a shock ran down Sam’s spine, bringing him to the brink of tears. “Now, listen to me. For one, I’m sorry about the porno. I had to save face for Dean and, for the record, she was a horrible lay compared to you.” He winked, and Sam unconsciously blushed. “Two, I didn’t want Dean to know but, I may not be dead. I’ll let that sink in a moment.” Sam felt a flooding of optimism mixed with skepticism. “Kali did some blood magic on me at the hotel, binding me to her forever. As long as she lives, I can’t really die. Don’t worry. The ‘forever binding’ thing isn’t as confining as it sounds. I can still go and do whatever I want, as long as I come to her when I’m called. She may still want me, but I doubt she wants me enough to ask me to show up voluntarily.” Sam frowned, still not liking the idea. “Point is, Sam, I’m still out there. I don’t know how long it will take me to wake up, but I will, so keep texting. I’ll show up one day. I promise. You mean more to me than anyone has in a millenia, and there’s no way I could let you go that easily." Gabriel sighed, trying to muster up words that didn't come easily to him. "I love you, Sammy.” Sam smiled as he wiped away a tear that was escaping his eye. “Enough of that sappy stuff. Makes me feel all weird. Now, go kick my brother’s ass and send him back to hell where he belongs.” Gabriel grinned and kissed the camera before the screen went blank. Sam sighed. This changed everything. Anything he felt before was replaced with the warm feeling of knowing that Gabriel was out there somewhere, wanting to come back to him. Sam took out his phone and texted Gabriel. After waiting a moment for him to show, he closed the laptop and crawled into his bed, able to sleep knowing that he could be happy again someday.

***

    The first thing Gabriel noticed was that he was extremely uncomfortable. He opened his eyes and realized he was strapped into a chair and wasn’t at the hotel he’d been slain at. The room he was in was circular, made of stone, and looked to be about 16-20 feet in diameter. A ring of burning holy oil surrounded him and he noticed several anti-angel sigils on the wall, which caused his powers to weaken to almost nothing. He noticed that whomever had trapped him was covering all their bases since his fingers were strapped to the chair individually. Gabriel took enjoyment in the fact that his reputation preceded him.  
    “You’re awake,” A familiar female voice said from behind him. The goddess came from behind the chair to face him.  
    “Kali. If you were into bondage, you should have said so,” Gabriel winked at her and Kali stepped into the ring to slap him.   
    “Shut up, Gabriel,” Kali said, stepping back out of the flames. “I need to let my employer know you’ve woken.” She walked through what seemed like the only door in the room. Gabriel took this time to evaluate the situation. He was trapped in an angel-proofed room with no one to let him out. He sighed. That was comforting. After a minute or so, he felt his phone in his jacket and smiled. Hopefully, Sam had gotten his message. His smile quickly diminished when he realized he had no way to get to him. The sound of footsteps started coming from the door and Gabriel took a breath, slightly nervous about who Kali’s “employer” was. Along with Kali, a short, somewhat stout man came into the light wearing all black. He was balding but, his face showed a little stubble.   
    “Gabriel, the archangel…” The man observed, a british accent present in his voice.   
    “A demon? Really, Kali?” Gabriel scolded. “That’s low even for a pagan.” He knew that being called that always got a rise out of her and he was right. Her arms started on fire almost instantly.  
    “Relax,” The demon said to Kali, his eyes still on Gabriel. “He’ll get what’s coming to him soon enough.” Kali’s arms were extinguished and she rolled her neck a bit.  
    “Well, congratulations, Smokey, you’ve caught yourself an archangel,” Gabriel spat, pressing his luck. “Gonna run and tell my brother that he sucked at killing me?” The demon laughed and took out a bottle of water.   
    “I’m not telling Lucifer anything. Especially since he’s a little busy possessing Sam Winchester and fighting Michael in his cage for eternity,” He mentioned, nonchalantly and pouring the water on the holy oil, dousing it. “Leave us, Kali.” The goddess left as Gabriel tried to register what he had heard. Sam said “yes”? And he was in Lucifer’s cage with his brothers? How could that happen? Sam must have been tricked. It had to be by this demon. Gabriel mustered any energy he had and, one the holy oil was gone, tightly closed his eyes, and released his wings, knowing the grace could easy kill the demon. The golden light emanating from them filled the room. He quickly retracted them, panting from the energy that it took in his weakened state. Laughter and applause came from behind him and Gabriel panicked.   
    “Very pretty, but you can’t kill me that easy, you oversized bird,” the demon came back in front of him, grinning. “Nice to meet you, Gabriel. I’m Crowley. King of Hell.”

***

659\. Gabriel opened his eyes. Same room, same chair, same face staring back at him for the 659th time.   
    “You know, I don’t think I could ever get tired of this,” Crowley mused, twirling his angel blade. “I mean, I get to start with a brand spanking new version of you. Its like christmas every time those pretty eyes open.” Gabriel sighed and looked down.   
    “I was at the first christmas. Not all it’s cracked up to be,” Gabe looked back up at the demon. “I know I’ve asked at _least_ 152 times, but for real. What is the point torturing and killing me over and over?” Crowley laughed, like he did every time.  
    “Because,” the demon responded as if reading from a script. “I like having a pet archangel.” Crowley brought the blade down, slicing the fingers off of Gabriel’s left hand. The angel let out an otherworldly scream, then panted. He flipped his hair out of his eyes, it had grown a bit in confinement, and smiled.   
    “Oh, baby, may I please have another?” Gabe said between breaths. If he’d learned anything these past few years, it was that sass provoked the king of hell. Gabriel assumed he was just uncomfortable with the fact that an angel could be as witty and sarcastic as him. Crowley frowned and put his blade away.   
    “Be back later,” he announced, starting to walk away. “Don’t wait up.”  
    “You better bring me flowers!” Gabe shouted at him. A few seconds later, a knife came flying through the air and went through his right shoulder. He winced at the shock, but pushed the blade out of himself. Gabriel glanced at his fingers, leaking blood and grace. He wasn’t worried. They would grow back the next time he was resurrected. The angel sighed. When he was alone, his mind frequently wandered to thoughts of Sam. Somewhere around death 6 or 7, Crowley let it slip that Sam had been taken out of the cage. Gabriel’s heart jumped at the fact that his lover was still alive, until an angel blade was stabbed through it. Death 102 brought the news that Sam and Dean were working for the demon. No matter how much Gabriel begged, Crowley wouldn’t let Sam see him. He assumed that those were the king's favorite deaths. He had heard about Raphael, Castiel, and the leviathans, and been a victim of Crowley’s anger at each one of them. Gabriel had only seen Kali a handful of times, but she had stopped coming after the angel had shouted at her to kill herself so that he could die. He could only stay strong for so long, and it was nearing the point where he couldn’t take it anymore. Sam came into his mind and he closed his eyes, trying to imagine what it would be like seeing him again. Gabe’s eyes welled up when he realized he could barely remember Sam’s face. He hung his head, letting his hair fall in front of him, and waited until it was time to die again.

***

    “I think I found something, Dean,” Sam said, pushing his quickly growing hair out of his face. Ever since Dean had gotten back from purgatory, he had been threatening Sam with scissors every chance he got.   
    “What’s up?” Dean asked, coming around a corner of the bunker, sandwich in hand.   
    “Looks like some sort of ritual,” Sam turned the laptop screen toward his brother. Dean skimmed the screen and nodded in agreeance.   
    “Antioch, Illinois it is,” Dean said, swallowing his last bite. They packed up and were on the road within an hour. As they crossed from Missouri into Illinois, a familiar DeVinyls song came on and Sam felt a pain in his chest.  
    “Why do you have this song?” Sam asked, almost breathless.  
    “Dunno. Found it at a thrift store,” Dean replied. Sam almost violently ejected the cassette. “Jeez. I didn’t know you hated that song so much.”  
    “It’s complicated,” Sam dismissed the issue and put a different tape in. Even though the music had changed, the pain didn’t go away. It had been a long time since he thought of Gabriel. Even longer since he tried to contact him. After Sam had gotten his soul back, he tried texting him with no response. He had even tried calling, but all he got was voicemail. Sam had long ago accepted that Gabriel was either dead or had chosen Kali over him. As morbid as it was, Sam secretly hoped it was the former. The rest of the drive was mostly silent, which he was grateful for.  
    “This looks good,” Dean commented, pulling into a hotel. After settling in, Sam dove into research.  
    “It looks like each victim was killed via spontaneous combustion and it’s been happening once a month,” Sam concluded. “The dates of the killings also happen to match up with the dates of the new moon.”  
    “Well, if that doesn’t say ‘pagan sacrifice’, I don’t know what does,” Dean replied. “When’s the next new moon?”  
    “It peaks tomorrow night,” Sam said.  
    “Better get some sleep then,” Dean smiled. “It’s God hunting season.”

 ***

    “Are you serious?!” Crowley yelled. Gabriel looked up from his chair to better hear what was going on down the hall.   
    “I need them to—”  
    “You need ONE. Not FIVE,” he corrected, interrupting Kali. “I thought we agreed that you would take them as you need them, no more.”  
    “Yes, but…” Kali started. Crowley stormed into Gabriel’s room with Kali close on his heels.   
    “You’re. Going. To. Attract. Hunters,” the demon punctuated every word with a slice on Gabriel. He cried out as the blade cut his chest, arms, and face. Blood and grace poured out of the angels wounds, the pain clouding his thoughts.  
    “Stop!” Kali cried, wincing as she watched Gabriel suffer.   
    “Or what, princess?” Crowley stabbed the blade into Gabe’s thigh. “He can’t die. Not with you still around.” He removed the blade and cleaned it off with his coat. “Don’t think that gives you a free pass. As much as I like my toy, it’s not worth attracting the Winchesters here.” He looked back at Gabriel. “Especially Sam.” In a flash, the blade was thrust into Gabriel’s forehead.

***

    “STOP, YOU BITCH!” Dean yelled, running down the street after a cloaked figure. Sam wasn’t far behind. The figure turned and descended into what looked like a manhole. The brothers caught up and looked down. It was dark and seemed horribly dangerous. They shrugged at each other and Dean went first.  
    “You go that way,” Dean pointed to the left once Sam had reached the bottom. “I’ll go this way.” Sam nodded and proceeded down the hall. It seemed as if the place had been abandoned, but only a couple years ago. Sam noticed a light near the end of the hall and headed towards it. The closer he got, he started to hear muffled voices, sometimes a yell.  
    “Alright, red eyes. What’ll it be today?”   
Sam paused. Was that…? No.  
    “What amazes me the most, is that you still have the will to fight back after 3 years.”  
    “When I said I could go all night, I meant it.”  
Sam noticed his pace quickening. That was Gabriel. It had to be. A scream pierced the air and Sam ran as fast as he could toward the light. He came into the room and saw Gabriel with an angel blade sticking out of his stomach and Crowley holding it.   
    “And that’s my cue to go,” The demon pulled out his blade, waved his fingers at Sam and disappeared. Sam was frozen in place. He didn’t know what to do, or what to think. Gabriel was alive. Down here this whole time. The emotions flooding his mind were overwhelming.  
    “Sammy,” Gabriel breathed, smiling. Sam was pulled out of his trance. He ran over and started undoing all the straps that the angel was held by. Gabe leaned forward and collapsed into Sam’s arms. Sam laid him on the floor, his back resting against Sam’s knees, and his stomach still bleeding and leaking grace. Gabriel looked up at him and smiled. “You need a haircut, kiddo.” Sam smiled as tears began to form in his eyes.   
    “I thought you were gone, Gabe,” Sam explained, looking at the shredded clothing that was on Gabriel. “What did he do to you?”  
    “Used me as a punching, slicing, and stabbing bag, but who cares?” Gabriel reached a shaky hand up to touch Sam’s face. “I thought I was never gonna see you again.” Sam held the hand to his face and kissed it, tears still falling.   
    “I could have looked—”  
    “You didn’t know, Sam,” Gabriel coughed, a little grace escaping. “You couldn’t have known.” The two stayed silent for a while just taking in the sight of eachother after such a long time.  
    “Can you believe that bitch, Kali? After we saved her and everything. Good thing I ganked her—” Dean stopped in the doorway upon seeing his brother cradling an archangel he assumed to be dead.   
    “Dean. GO,” Sam ordered, not looking up at him. Dean nodded and walked away, still confused, but respecting his brother's request.  
    “So she’s dead…” Gabriel laughed weakly. “What horrible timing.”  
    “No…” Sam panicked, realizing what that meant. “No, Gabe, you can’t die. Not now. Not after I found you.” This couldn't be happening to them. It had been so long. They had to make up for so much lost time.   
    “Sam, I’ve died over 670 times,” Gabriel explained, his breathing slowing. “It’s time for me to go.”  
    “But…” Sam choked over his words. “I love you, Gabriel. I always have.”  
    “That’s all I need to hear,” Gabe smiled. “I love you too, kiddo.” Sam bent down and kissed his angel, slowly feeling the strength leave him, until Gabriel went limp. Sam pulled Gabe’s body to his chest and squeezed it, shaking with sobs.

 


End file.
